Vernon Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 When driving I find that the dashboard can be dark and is hard to see the speedometer. Short of turning on the headlights is there a better way of illuminating the dashboard? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumblewagon Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 You don't say what model / year of Peugeot, but yes, in general it can be done if you are happy to do a bit of DIY electronics. Basically you have to use a couple of diodes to supply the dash illumination either from the headlights or via a switch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 4, 2018 Share Posted August 4, 2018 Vernon’s 2014 motorhome uses a Peugeot Boxer base. The instrument-cluster of recent Fiat Ducatos is illuminated whenever the vehicle’s ignition is switched on, and a software revision can be retro-applied to earlier Ducato X290 vehicles (manufactured from mid-2014 onwards). I’m guessing that recent Boxer/Relays also have 'ignition-switched’ instrument-cluster illumination, but I believe the software revision is not available for earlier Boxer/Relay X290 vehicles. Perhaps you could provide more detail (or a link) regarding the diodes approach you mention in your last sentence. It’s certainly possible to illuminate the instrument cluster using a separate light source (eg. an LED strip) as I’ve done it, but I’ve not read of anybody using diodes. (Connecting to the headlamp circuit would be odd as the the instruments should illuminate as standard when the headlamps are switched on. Besides which, Vernon’s type of complaint usually relates to difficulty reading the speedometer in dim daylight conditions.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vernon Posted August 4, 2018 Author Share Posted August 4, 2018 The Peugeot is a Boxer 2014, if that helps. I understood MMM was to do an article on this, or am I mistaken? You're quiet right Derek in your diagnosis, reading the speedo during daylight is a real problem especially wearing sunglasses! I've taken to wearing a baseball cap as it shield the sun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul2 Posted August 4, 2018 Share Posted August 4, 2018 Hi I was thinking of connecting the instrument cluster illumination using two diodes to stop back feed to the after market day time driving lights fitted to my van which come on with the ingition and go off when the headlights are swicthed on. I have yet to work out which wire I need to cut into for the dash illumination so if anyone knows the colour of this wire that would help. Maybe this what Grumble wagon has done or he may have used an ignition feed. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve928 Posted August 4, 2018 Share Posted August 4, 2018 Derek Uzzell - 2018-08-04 9:28 AM I’m guessing that recent Boxer/Relays also have 'ignition-switched’ instrument-cluster illumination Your guess is correct, Derek - the instrument cluster has been illuminated with the ignition since the change to the Euro6 BlueHDi powerplant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Den Posted August 4, 2018 Share Posted August 4, 2018 I rang my local Fiat professional, whom said yes in a few weeks time. That was 3 months ago. I keep forgetting to book it in. Some people knock the Ford. But you can adjust the cluster illumination on ford and not fiat. It’s still not good enough when it’s illuminated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witzend Posted August 4, 2018 Share Posted August 4, 2018 To get over the speedo display lighting on my fiat I have a simple GPS HUD speedo from ebay which just displays speed in mph or kms and is switchable to not use as HUD but just as a screen. There are also apps available for phones Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 This issue (for Ducatos) was discussed in some detail here http://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/fiat-dashboard-lighting-/45838/31/ http://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/OBD-ports/49031/ and a photo of my Rapido’s illuminated instrument-cluster is attached. This uses a LED strip and is operated by an ignition-controlled dashboard switch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 Den - 2018-08-04 4:59 PM I rang my local Fiat professional, whom said yes in a few weeks time. That was 3 months ago. I keep forgetting to book it in. Some people knock the Ford. But you can adjust the cluster illumination on ford and not fiat. It’s still not good enough when it’s illuminated. It is possible to adjust a Ducato X290’s instrument-cluster lighting via the MODE menu.The adjustment is from dim to nil! The Ducato X290’s muted red dashboard lighting (that iluminates all the switches as well as the instrument-cluster's backklighting) is OK for night-time driving, but having it on continuously during the daytime is of little real value - it’s just not bright enough to be useful unless the daytime light-level were so poor that it approached darkness. And in such conditions a driver would probably switch on the vehicle’s headlamps anyway, causing the dashboard lighting to come on. There have been DIY suggestions involving angled white card or silver foil being used to reflect light on to the speedometer, plus work-arounds that use a secondary speed-reading device (phone app, GPS/OBD speedometer, sat-nav) but the best way to brightly illuminate the complete instrument-cluster during the day is undoubtedly to ‘front-light’ it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHARRY Posted August 6, 2018 Share Posted August 6, 2018 I have a 2016 Boxer, X290, and have just had a software update done by my local Peugeot dealer under warranty to switch on the instrument backlights permanently when the ignition is switched on without the main lights being on. This has improved the visibility of the speedo etc. in bad light conditions. The dealers have a "Service Bulletin" about this problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 6, 2018 Share Posted August 6, 2018 Welcome to the Out&AboutLive forums. Does your 2016 Peugeot Boxer X290 have the Euro 6 2.0litre “BlueHDI” motor (that uses AdBlue) or the earlier Euro 5 2.2litre motor that does not use AdBlue? Although Fiat offers a software revision to switch on the dashboard backlighting of Euro 5 Ducato X290s, I was under the impression that Peugeot/Citroen did not offer a similar revision for Euro 5 X290 Boxers/Relays. I don’t know if Vernon’s 2014 Boxer is an X250 or an X290, but if there’s now a software ‘fix’ that can switch on his motorhome’s instrument lighting when the ignition is turned on, that should help somewhat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHARRY Posted August 6, 2018 Share Posted August 6, 2018 My Peugeot is a Euro 5, no adblue. Peugeot were not very forthcoming with the update and originally wanted to charge me for it. I pointed out that Fiat did not charge and that I felt that it could be a danger and they relented and did the update. It took about 20 minutes As I said they do have a service bulletin for this problem which you would hope they would check when the vehicles are in for the annual service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 7, 2018 Share Posted August 7, 2018 Thanks for the feed-back - from Steve928’s comment above I had assumed that your Boxer was not the Euro 6 version but I just wanted to be sure. I wasn’t much interested in Fiat’s instrument lighting software-revision for Ducato X290s as my Rapido is LHD and its speedometer gets more daylight on it than RHD Ducatos, and I had also DIYed effective instrument front-lighting (more for amusement than anything else). So I was a surprised that, after the Fiat Professional service in April this year, my Rapido’s dashboard lighting was now ‘permanently' on as I had not asked for the software revision to be carried out. I’ve not seen this ‘fix’ for Boxers mentioned before, so it would worth forum members who participate on other forums (particularly those that relate to UK motorhome manufacturers building on Boxers) adveritising that the software revision exists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumblewagon Posted August 7, 2018 Share Posted August 7, 2018 I must admit that my modifications to the dashboard lighting was on much earlier models. I don't feel comfortable with software controlling functions that can be controlled by a simple switch or standalone device. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deneb Posted August 7, 2018 Share Posted August 7, 2018 Derek Uzzell - 2018-08-07 9:01 AM I wasn’t much interested in Fiat’s instrument lighting software-revision for Ducato X290s as my Rapido is LHD and its speedometer gets more daylight on it than RHD Ducatos- and I had also DIYed effective instrument front-lighting (more for amusement than anything else). So I was a surprised that, after the Fiat Professional service in April this year, my Rapido’s dashboard lighting was now ‘permanently' on as I had not asked for the software revision to be carried out. My Ducato is going for its first and only dealer service next week, warranty necessity! I asked about the software update when I booked it in, as I wasn't sure if I needed to contact customer care to open a case, but the dealer informed me they are now done as a matter of course whenever they come in to the workshop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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